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Ambystoma californiense, the California tiger salamander, has found success where die-hard environmentalists have failed: The lowly reptile has single-handedly slowed down Sonoma County's relentless growth. The reclusive, rarely seen creature has been credited with -- or blamed for -- delaying a dozen major construction projects on the Santa Rosa plain. It has stalled everything from new housing subdivisions and a shopping mall to a Santa Rosa elementary school. ... Conservationists have championed such issues to slow growth in their county, but no issue has matched the salamander's record for halting development. The salamander, builders say, has put on hold the...

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - Federal wildlife officials agreed to grant protection to the California tiger salamander and its habitat, handing a major victory to conservationists but angering farmers and real estate developers. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Monday it will list the salamander as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act - a designation that makes it unlawful to harm the salamander and restricts development in its habitat, which is primarily found in the Central Valley, Central Coast and San Francisco Bay area. "It's a huge conservation milestone because we're protecting one of California's most imperiled...

long-toed salamander is threatening to devour a $24 million school construction project and may also consume the property rights of many residents in this rural community on the Monterey Bay. No, this isn't the plot of another far-fetched disaster movie by the UFO-logists who brought us "A Day After Tomorrow". It is, however, becoming an increasingly common theme played out in communities around the nation, courtesy of eco-litigators backed by the Endangered Species Act. The Aptos Salamander situation not only provides a new perspective on the endangered-education angle, it is helping local residents recognize that the cost of eco-indulgence may...

<p>SUNOL, Calif. (AP) - A stocky, distinctively marked salamander with a penchant for spending summers chilling out in gopher holes is the newest California candidate for threatened species status.</p> <p>Officials from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said Friday they want to add the California tiger salamander to the list of plants and animals entitled to special protections under the federal Endangered Species Act.</p>